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Glossary

decision-making responsibility

In Family Law, Substitute decision‑making, Income Assistance, Child tax benefits, Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Eligibility, Wills and Powers of Attorney

Decision-making responsibility is the right to make important decisions about how to care for and raise a child. It includes the right to make decisions about the child’s health, education, religion, and important extra-curricular activities. Decision-making responsibility used to be called custody.

The parents can agree to or the court can give:

  • one parent all decision-making responsibility,
  • 2 or more parents decision-making responsibility, or
  • different parents separate responsibilities, for example, one parent makes decisions about the child’s health and another parent makes decisions about the child’s religion.
developmental services institution

In Income Assistance

Developmental services institutions were run by the Ontario government.

People who were labelled with intellectual disabilities lived in these institutions. The last one closed in 2009.

Disability Adjudication Unit

In Income Assistance

The Disability Adjudication Unit (DAU) is part of the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

The DAU decides whether you meet the ODSP definition of a person with a disability.

They do not interview you or give you a medical examination.

They make their decision using the information they get from you and the health professionals who complete forms about your disability.

Disability Determination Package

In Income Assistance

You get a Disability Determination Package when you apply to the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and need an approved health professional to give information that proves you’re a “person with a disability”.

The package includes 4 forms:

  • Self Report
  • Consent to Release Medical Information
  • Health Status Report
  • Activities of Daily Living Index

You have to return the completed forms to the Disability Adjudication Unit.

discrimination

In Employment and Work, Housing Law, Human Rights, Income Assistance, Tribunals and Courts

The law says that you cannot be discriminated against:

  • in employment and housing
  • when you buy or receive items and services
  • when you make a contract
  • by your union or professional association

Discrimination happens when you’re treated unfairly because of protected grounds, also called personal characteristics. Ontario’s Human Rights Code lists 17 protected grounds that include ethnic origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, family status, and disability.